AI Article Synopsis

  • The COVID-19 pandemic revealed weaknesses in global health systems, prompting a focus on patient experiences to enhance health system performance, especially in a Nepali infectious disease hospital.
  • The study involved analyzing handwritten feedback from COVID-19 patients using WHO's framework, which includes service delivery, health workforce, information, governance, financing, and access to medicines.
  • Results showed that patients generally had positive feedback regarding service delivery and staff, but noted issues with infrastructure and cleanliness, highlighting the importance of addressing these gaps while recognizing the interconnected nature of health system components.

Article Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the health systems in many ways. It has put unprecedented strain on health systems worldwide and exposed gaps in public health infrastructure. A health system comprises all institutions and resources working towards improving and maintaining health. Among the different aspects of health system strengthening, a patient's experiences and expectations play a crucial role in determining how well the health facilities function. This study aims to explore health system strengthening's implications based on experiences and feedback provided by COVID-19 patients admitted to a government tropical and infectious disease hospital in Nepal.

Methods: In this qualitative study, we collected the voluntary handwritten feedback by the admitted COVID-19 patients to document the feedback and experiences from a book, maintained by the hospital. We performed thematic content analysis using the World Health Organization's six building blocks of health system as a theoretical framework which included service delivery, health workforce, information, leadership and governance, financing, and access to medicines.

Results: Most patients in this study had positive experiences on service delivery and health workforce. Some also highlighted the gaps in infrastructure, cleanliness, and hygiene. Many suggested positive experiences on other dimensions of the health system such as financing, governance and leadership, and access to medicines reflected upon by the patients' thankfulness to the hospital and the government for the treatment they received. The responses also reflected the inter-connectedness between the different building blocks of health system.

Conclusion: This study approached a unique way to strengthen the health system by exploring patients' feedback, which suggested an overall positive impression on most building blocks of health system. However, it also highlighted certain gaps in infrastructure, cleanliness, and hygiene. It reinforces the hospital management and government's role to continue its efforts to strengthen the health system.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8718006PMC
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0261524PLOS

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

health system
36
health
18
covid-19 patients
12
building blocks
12
blocks health
12
system
9
patients admitted
8
admitted government
8
infectious disease
8
disease hospital
8

Similar Publications

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!